Statement by the OCHRD on the Detention of Ben Salam

The Omani Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (OCHRD) condemns the continued detention of Omani citizen Salem bin Salam Al-Salti, known on the X platform as “Ben Salam”, in connection with his participation on that platform—whether through audio spaces or written posts—in which he called for comprehensive and structural solutions to unemployment and for the prosecution of corrupt public officials in the Sultanate of Oman. Mr Al-Salti was summoned for interrogation on 8 August 2025 and has remained in detention since that date, without being permitted contact with his legal representative and without disclosure of his place of detention.

According to credible sources available to the OCHRD, there has been a marked increase in the frequency of summonses and detentions in recent weeks, following the emergence of a number of young Omanis on X who have criticised the authorities’ handling of unemployment and their failure to address corruption. In early August, the authorities also detained Manal Hamza, whose place of detention remains unknown. In July 2025, a four-year custodial sentence was imposed upon writer Mohammed Al-Barami.

The OCHRD strongly denounces the detention of Mr Al-Salti and urges the authorities to ensure his immediate and unconditional release. The OCHRD further reminds the authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, both of which were ratified by the Sultanate of Oman in 2020, to safeguard the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to refrain from arresting or detaining individuals for any peaceful expression of their views.